March 7
1800s *1893 - In arguably the most significant rule change in major league history, the National League eliminates the pitching box and adds a pitcher's rubber five feet behind the previous back line of the box, establishing the modern pitching distance of 60 feet six inches. In addition, bats flattened on one side to facilitate bunting are banned. *1896 - A Chicago sportswriter quoted in the New York Clipper notes that "Bill Dahlen is one of the few now in the National League who came blood new from a punky little league and became a good thing at first jump." Indeed, Dahlen eventually accumulates 2,460 hits and a .272 average over a 21-year major league career. *1889 - Pittsburgh Alleghenys third baseman Billy Kuehne is arrested at his billiards parlour in Allegheny City and is charged, along with his partner pitcher Ed Morris, with running a gambling house. When the case comes to trial, the key witness fails to appear and the charges will be dropped. 1900s *1902 - Hall of Famer James (Pud) Galvin dies at the age of 45. Galvin won 361 games over a 14-year career, placing him in a tie for sixth on the all-time list for most wins. In 1883-84, Galvin won a combined 92 games. *1903 - In the first trade under the peace treaty, the New York Giants send their 1902 part-time manager Heinie Smith to the Detroit Tigers for second baseman Kid Gleason, who is immediately moved to the Philadelphia Phillies where he will end a 20-year playing career. *1908 - Near Lexington, Kentucky, the train carrying the Cleveland Naps is struck by two bricks shattering windows. Elmer Flick, Bill Bradley, and Harry Bay are hit by the flying glass while playing euchre, but no injuries occur. Tomorrow, the team will arrive safely in Macon, Georgia, for spring training. 1910s *1919 - Christy Mathewson, back from the World War I, rejoins the New York Giants as pitching coach and heir apparent to John McGraw. 1920s *1923: **After sitting out most of last season, Fred Toney signs for one more year with the St. Louis Cardinals. **The New England American Legion appeals to Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis to discontinue morning games on Memorial Day. The request is turned down. *1924 - At Orlando, Florida, Cincinnati Reds manager Pat Moran dies from Bright's disease at the age of 48. A veteran of nine National League seasons as a manager, Moran guided the Reds to a record of 91-63 and a second-place finish in 1923. Coach Jack Hendricks replaces the popular Moran. 1930s 1940s *1941 - At Havana, the Brooklyn Dodgers roll over the Cleveland Indians 15–0. Pee Wee Reese and Joe Medwick use a batting helmet designed by two Johns Hopkins Hospital doctors with the help of Larry MacPhail. The two Dodgers, victims of several hit by pitches last year, pronounce the helmets satisfactory. Brooklyn pitcher Van Lingle Mungo celebrates the victory a little too hard and when tomorrow's game is rained out, he continues to party. The result is that manager Leo Durocher sends him a note informing he's been reassigned to the Dodgers' minor league camp in Macon, Georgia. Mungo will pitch just two innings for Brooklyn this year. *1946 - Negro Leaguer Marvin Williams, playing for Vargas against Magallanes, sets a still-standing Venezuelan league mark by driving in eight runs on two home runs and two singles. Vargas wins 16–9. 1950s *1955 - Commissioner Ford Frick states that he favors legalization of the spitter, "a great pitch and one of the easiest to throw." *1956 - The Players Association accept the owners' decisions on minimum pay and the World Series TV agreement. They seek workman's compensation coverage. The PA rehire J.M. Lewis as their representative. 1960s *1965 - Detroit Tigers manager Chuck Dressen suffers a mild coronary occlusion. He will be sidelined until May 19. Meanwhile, coach Bob Swift will be acting manager. 1970s *1977 - The Atlanta Braves file suit against Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, challenging the severity of the penalty for tampering charges. *1979: **Slugging outfielder Hack Wilson and longtime executive Warren Giles are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Wilson, who had a career relatively short, won four home run National League titles while with the Chicago Cubs. His most peroductive season came in 1930, when he set an all-time major league record with 191 RBI, hit 56 home runs (a NL record for 68 years) and batted a .356 average. For his career, Wilson hit .307 with 244 home runs and 1063 RBI. Giles served as president of the Cincinnati Reds from 1937 to 1951, before becoming National League President for 18 seasons. **At spring training, exhibition season opens with semipro and amateur umpires in place of major league arbiters, who are staging a collective holdout. 1980s *1981 - The Atlanta Braves trade outfielder Jeff Burroughs to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for pitcher Carlos Díaz. 1990s *1991 - Cool Papa Bell dies in St. Louis, Missouri, at the age of 87. An outfielder with blazing speed, Bell played in the Negro Leagues from 1922 to 1946. Bell entered the Hall of Fame in 1974, joining fellow Negro Leagues stars Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard and Monte Irvin. *1995 - The Special Veterans Committee elects former major leaguers Richie Ashburn and Vic Willis, former National League president William Hulbert, and former Negro League player Leon Day to the Hall of Fame. Day will die of a heart attack six days from now. *1998 - The New York Yankees sign pitcher Orlando Hernández, brother of the 1997 World Series hero Liván Hernández, to a four-year, $6.6 million contract. *1999 - In a historic agreement, it is announced that the Baltimore Orioles will travel to Cuba for a March 28 exhibition game against the Cuban national team in Havana. The Cuban team will travel to the United States for a return contest at a future date. It is the first time in 40 years that USA will play a professional game in Cuba. 2000s *2006: *Five games were played today in the inaugural World Baseball Classic: **'Pool B' ***Derrek Lee and Chipper Jones hammered solo home runs powering the United States to a 2–0 win over Mexico. Jake Peavy was the starting pitcher for the U.S. and combined with six relievers on the four-hit shutout. ***Canada narrowly avoided a startling loss in its debut, rallying for four runs in the top of the ninth inning to beat South Africa. **'Pool C' ***Bernie Williams drove in a sixth-inning run to hand Puerto Rico a 2–1 victory over Panama. **'Pool D' ***Adrián Beltré and David Ortiz each belted two home runs as the Dominican Republic crushed Venezuela 11–5. ***Pitchers Jason Grilli and Riccardo De Santis combined on a one-hitter over seven innings and Mark Saccomanno and Vincent Sinisi each belted two-run home runs as Italy defeated Australia 10–0. **Boston Red Sox backup catcher John Flaherty retired, ending his 14-year major league career with the team he started it with. He signed last December as a free agent after three seasons with the New York Yankees. Flaherty, who also played for Detroit, San Diego and Tampa Bay, posted a .252 batting average with 80 home runs and 395 RBI in 1,047 games played. Births *1881 - Doc Scanlan, pitcher (d. 1949) *1884 - Ed Willett, pitcher (d. 1934) *1933 - Ed Bouchee, infielder *1936 - Galen Cisco, pitcher *1950 - J.R. Richard, All-Star pitcher *1951 - Jeff Burroughs, All-Star outfielder *1960 - Joe Carter, All-Star outfielder *1962 - Germán González, pitcher *1965 - Jack Armstrong, All-Star pitcher *1968 - Denis Boucher, pitcher *1968 - Jeff Kent, All-Star infielder *1980 - Scott Munter, pitcher Deaths *1902 - Pud Galvin, Hall of Fame pitcher (b. 1856) *1924 - Pat Moran, player and manager (b. 1876) *1978 - Steve Bilko, infielder (b. 1928 *1991 - Cool Papa Bell, Hall of Fame Negro Leagues player (b. 1903) *2000 - Jack Sanford, All-Star pitcher (b. 1929)